Inkjet and extrusion printing are commonly used to deposit conductive and dielectric traces on substrates, such as but not limited to polymer substrates. This printing can be undertaken in a variety of areas including but not being limited to flexible electronic applications. Both inkjet printing and extrusion printing are close proximity, non-contact printing techniques and can be used to print on planar substrates. However, increasingly electronic circuits and other devices or components are incorporating raised features including but not limited to discrete components, biomaterials and 3D printed structures. In order to print on these and other raised features using either inkjet or extrusion printing it is necessary that an associated ejection tip or print head be in close and consistent proximity to the surface of the substrate or elements on which the inkjet printing or extrusion printing is to occur. As one attempts to print onto features raised above the surface plane of the substrate the ejection tip or print head must be continuously adjusted to follow the surface features. This requires an optical or other sensing and data feedback system to obtain an overview of the layout on the surface substrate. The obtained data is then used to perform complex planning by the relevant non-contact inkjet and/or extrusion printing systems, in order to traverse ejection tip or print head across the raised surface in a proper manner.